Monster’s call

Ducati is re-entering India soon and this may be one of their most successful offerings in the country

Ducati will soon be making amends in India. After entering the Indian market with a dealer that didn’t exactly do the greatest honour to the legendary Italian motorcycle maker a few years ago, Ducati is now entering India independently. To begin with, they will have one outlet in Gurgaon, another in Mumbai, and will sell their entire range of motorcycles, except for the Multistrada. The Monster, which follows a cult following, was recently updated and here’s what we think of it.

What’s new with this Monster?

First, there is the engine. The Monster now gets a 1198cc motor that’s derived from the Multistrada that puts out 145hp and 124Nm of torque. Simply put, it’s the most powerful Monster yet. To cope with that power, it gets brakes that are nicked from the Panigale. Oh, and it’s also received a complete revamp in terms of the way it looks. While all past Monsters were great motorcycles, they were a bit limited by the ergonomics and tank range. This meant they were mostly reserved for those Sunday morning blasts. This one however, is comfortable enough to tour, has enough torque to buzz around town in second gear alone and enough power to do some serious mile-crunching all day. All this while being accompanied with a sound track that could easily win a motorcycle Grammy. If there is something that’s a little bit of a step backwards, it’s the way it looks. There have been prettier Monsters, as ironic as it sounds.

With the amount of power motorcycle engines generate these days, it’s very easy for manufacturers to go a little overboard. Both the Austrian and the German make more power and are quicker and faster. So in that sense, the Ducati is a distant third. But the Monster is not a fire-breathing, non-fairing version of the Panigale. Where the KTM Super Duke and BMW S1000R are sparring it out for the bonkers title, Ducati have given the Monster a very grown-up personality. Not something the Italians would naturally do, but we are happy they did so.

Anything else I should know?

The Monster comes in two versions. The base variant makes 10 less horses and gets basic suspension. The ‘S’ version gets Ohlins forks and better brakes. And given the price difference, we strongly recommend shelling out the extra dough for S. Ducati has also designed hard luggage for this Monster but it’s an optional extra. Also Ducati has just launched an 821cc version of this naked and that could be the ‘sensible’ option.

When do I get to ride it?

Ducati is currently undergoing a complete revamp of its operations in India and they should be up and running by the end of the year. The Monster is certainly headed on its way here and we are pretty sure they will be flying out of showrooms soon after. Guesstimates would put the price for the entry-level Monster in the region of Rs10 lakh and for that price, what you get is a very versatile motorcycle that is good enough to stir the soul. What else could you ask for?

1/6

The all-new Ducati Monster 1200S

Ducati has just launched an 821cc version of this naked and that could be the ‘sensible’ option.

With a rear view like that, your friends will be glad to see you go.

This Monster is not a fire-breathing, non-fairing version of the Panigale.

The Ducati Monster has enough torque to buzz around town in second gear alone.

The Monster's base variant makes 10 less horses, while the ‘S’ version gets Ohlins forks and better brakes.